A series of articles written by SCCO Student Ambassadors.

Bad Grade – Speed Bump or Roadblock?

by SCCO Student Ambassador, Michael Nishimoto

Many of us have had the same harrowing experience during our undergrad – you sit down for your final on 2 hours of sleep, consumed only a coffee and energy drink, with your crammed lecture material spilling out of your ear as you stare blankly at the front page. You ask yourself, “Why didn’t I start studying for this earlier?” as the words or numbers read like a foreign language. You hope for the best, but two weeks later, you look at your transcript, and the worst-case scenario has happened – a failing grade.

Before I go on, I’m here to echo what most academic advisors have been saying since the beginning of time: a failing grade is not the end of the world. Despite being told this over and over, it’s easy to spiral into a feeling of dread or feel not good enough, and I’m here to reassure you that it will be alright. Take it from me – the scenario I set up was exactly what happened to me in my second to last quarter at UCI. Between two jobs, a fraternity, and a weightlifting team, I had stacked too much on my plate and inevitably left my academics to take the brunt of the consequences. I had let the feeling of failure consume me. I was frustrated, doubtful, and quite frankly, disappointed in myself. Despite the conflicting thoughts, the one thing that remained unwavering was that I wanted to become an optometrist, something that I felt was in jeopardy after my poor grades.

When I talked to admissions at SCCO about applying for this or the next cycle, I knew my grades would be a topic of conversation after they saw my transcript. And rightfully so. The course I did poorly in was a prerequisite course, which is both related to the courses that you’ll take in optometry school, and similar in rigor. I wasn’t surprised when I was told that my academics needed some work, but I was surprised when I was told there was still time to prove myself to be capable of handling the coursework, through the last few classes I had at UCI and the OAT.

There are any number of reasons you might struggle with a course. Maybe the material is just not something that you are used to, maybe you let all the lecture material pile up to the last minute, or maybe you just had a lot going on. No matter the cause, there is something to learn from the experience. Maybe you learned to manage your time more wisely for future classes, gained valuable experience in your extracurriculars that were taking so much of your time, or you’ll be given another chance to use a different learning method in the retaken class.

Failing a class isn’t great, but admissions isn’t going to look at your transcript, see an “F,” and immediately deny you. The admissions team isn’t here to punish you for your past, they’re here to make sure you will be successful academically and in becoming an empathetic and personable provider. Your application should read like a book, with your development into an optometrist as the ultimate resolution. Everything you’ve done, whether it be optometric experience, athletics, clubs, tutoring, or even working at your local coffee shop, has taught you something – made you into the person you are today. Everyone has different experiences and events that have shaped how they’ve gotten to where they are. Your application is the time to flex your past and show off your journey into optometry and what will make you a great provider.

The biggest takeaway I had from this whole ordeal was that no matter what happens, you can’t change the past. That doesn’t mean that you should let a bump in the road change the course of your future. Look back at the path you have paved so far. These are the things you want to be writing about in your application. Take note of the bump, but don’t let it occupy your mind. If you really want something, these challenges are no more than an object on the road. The second you hit the object, your heart jumps a bit, both hands grab the wheel, you get back on course, and focus on the rest of the drive.

Take a deep breath and keep your head up. Things always have a funny way of working themselves out. You’ve worked hard to get here, don’t let a small mishap turn you away from your goals. Good luck to all of you and feel free to reach out if you have any questions (michaelnishimoto.scco27@ketchum.edu)!

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